2024.03.20
Why Japanese real estate companies are reluctant to serve overseas customers.
Recently, due to the weak yen, there has been a trend of foreigners actively purchasing real estate in Japan. However, with the increase in transactions, there have also been significant troubles. A major issue is that many Japanese real estate agents struggle with language communication. Moreover, due to differences in business customs, various problems arise during negotiations with foreigners.
For example, in many countries, negotiating the price is as common as greeting. It’s natural for everyone to want to purchase at a lower price, but there is a tendency in Japan to dislike price negotiations. While simply saying “no” could resolve the issue, the Japanese spirit of hospitality seems to make them feel stressed when they cannot meet the other party’s expectations. They think, “If it was possible, it would have been cheaper from the beginning.”
Additionally, there is a tendency to view customers who negotiate prices as troublesome. This is because, in many cases, customers who engage in negotiations tend to be problematic. Japanese business customs are unique compared to those abroad, and the culture of “honne” (true feelings) and “tatemae” (facade) makes the Japanese commercial culture distinctive.
Furthermore, Japanese is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. With various expressions such as Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana, and cases where a single word can have many nuances, there is a significant stress when the intended nuance does not get conveyed to the non-Japanese speaker.
If you have acquaintances in Japan, it is advisable to purchase real estate with their help. However, if not, it is recommended to use a real estate company that speaks English. Our company receives many requests because of our ability to communicate in languages. Purchasing real estate is a high-cost investment, and communication is extremely important. We recommend choosing a real estate company that can communicate in English.